Help! Roommate Signed Us Over To IDT Energy

Pete got switched over to IDT Energy by a scammy door-to-door salesman, thanks to his sleepy and ignorant roommate, and now he wants help.

Unlike Pete, his roommate doesn’t read The Consumerist and so when an IDT Energy rep came to his door and said he was from ConEd and just needed a signature, she unwittingly authorized the switch.

Once Pete found out, he called up ConEd and got a block placed on his account, but he wonders if that’s enough. He writes,

…I am concerned about what she signed and I wonder if IDT can some how hold me accountable for it, and switch me over anyways.

Getting the account lock is good move, and you’re probably covered just from that. To be doubly sure, you can call IDT Energy at 1-877-877-6866. Other readers reported that the company actually doesn’t give you a hassle at all when you try to cancel IDT after the switcharoo.

After that, report the incident to the NY Attorney General at 212-416-8000. They need more complaints lodged against IDT Energy before they will open an investigation.

Here’s the thing… it is actually possible to save money using IDT Energy. Instead of a fixed rate, you get a variable one, which can be lower than what you get through ConEd. However, no business should be allowed to use their kind of outright deception to sell its services.

Pete’s letter, inside…

Pete writes:

hey guys,

last friday, IDT came knocking at my door. interestingly enough they came on the day our electric bill was delivered. i have read all about them on your website for months and would have closed the door in their face and called the police. however i wasnt home, my roommate was. she was half asleep, they said they were from coned. she didnt know what was going on, she showed them our bill and signed some form about switching over. uh oh!

i called coned edison and explained what happened, the cs rep said that she would put a block on my acct that would prevent someone from changing my energy service provider. so IDT would not be able to switch me over. i asked several times for clarification about this block placed on my account, and was assured that it meant no one could switch my account. i would continue to be billed by coned. so i think i am ok. the electric bill is in my name, and i would assume IDT cant do anything unless i have signed the forms, not my roommate. however i am concerned about what she signed and i wonder if IDT can some how hold me accountable for it, and switch me over anyways.

my roommate remembers them saying that something will be sent to us in the mail to sign and send back, but she was half asleep and cant quite remember. they have my acct number and address info, as well as my name on their forms. have you guys heard about the process after someone signs the door to door salesman’s forms? maybe you can post something asking for people’s experiences after they were duped and signed the form? should i bother calling IDT and say cancel this transaction, do not switch my energy service, i do not want to you use your company?

Comments

Edit Your Comment

“Here’s the thing… it is actually possible to save money using IDT Energy. Instead of a fixed rate, you get a variable one, which can be lower than what you get through ConEd. “

It is possible when paying an adjustable rate to always pay less than a fixed rate, but what a consumer needs to watch out for with this and any adjustable rate commodity (mortgage, energy, etc.) is what if any caps are placed on the upward swing. An adjustable rate mortgage, for example, always – by law – puts in writing what the borrower can expect to pay if rates increase, and many loans have a cap on how much that increase can be in any one year.

Though I have no experience working with IDT, given their predatory practices as I’ve read about them, I doubt their “sales reps” will let a consumer know the downside of adjustable rate billing.

You have a three day period to cancel out of the new contract by New York law specific to switching over Energy carriers. I believe they refer to it as the three day recension(sp?) clause that all energy companies have to honor.

If it’s within three days I’d jump right on that. Sorry I don’t have a reference but I’m 100% *positive* on this one.

sonething_amazing, it’s called a “Three Day Right Of Recission” and in SOME states it applies to any sales contract signed in the home. I do not know if New York has this law. It was was discussed in the previous post about the person who bought the truck in NJ and wanted to return it.

hey pete not for nothing but your just an asshole that just doesnt have a life but to sit there and try to complain about IDT energy, your just the type of person that always try to knocked down anything thats doing better than you, the way your talking about IDT energy it sounds like lies, dont you have anything better to do? really come on get a damn life asshole, im pretty sure your lying, you just want to feel important, dont be a liar, god is watching you dummy, your just miserable and try to make other miserable get a life!!!!!

IDT wacks you with surcharges and the rate is never lower then the utility. They are awful with a bunch of complaints >> there is no savings with them just bullshit.
I have been in the business for 4 years and they really hurt clients, they suck and if you think otherwise you are misinformed.